Ephesians 6:10–18 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 

In a previous devotional thought (May 27, 2020) and in last Sunday’s message, I briefly discussed the topic of the Armor of God.  This week, we want to look at it in detail so that we may know how to fight the spiritual battles that lie ahead.

Notice what we are standing against: the schemes of the devil. Satan is forever plotting how he may hurt you and the church.

Notice who we are not fighting against, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.” If you think your spouse or your boss, or your co-worker, or anybody else is your problem, then pinch them on the arm real hard and when they scream, you’ll be reminded that they are flesh and blood and therefore, they are not your problem.

Notice who our battle is against: the rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, spiritual forces of evil.

Where does this battle take place?  “In the heavenly places,”  which means in the spiritual realm.

So often when a brother or sister shares with me some struggle going on in their lives, the first thing i ask them, “Where do you see God in the midst of this situation?“

Now, why do I ask that? Because if we really believe in a sovereign God, who personally loves and cares for us, then we must believe that God is working in that situation to develop us to becoming all He wants us to be. It is important for us to realize that in any situation, God is there to develop us and Satan is there to destroy us.

So, what must we do in that situation?  Verse 13 begins with, “Therefore.” One of the secrets to understanding Scripture is build in this little saying of mine: when we come to a “therefore?” we must ask, “What is it there for?”

Based upon what has just been said in this passage, that is, in light of the fact that we are in a spiritual battle, we must therefore take up the whole armor of God.

And why must we do this? So that we can remain standing when the battle is over, “that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” 

 

You see, the picture is that we win and the devil loses and we are still standing victoriously.

Now, what follows are the specific battle instructions for the church and for each individual soldier.